


Black Essence

by Venom Sequence (MorganGray)



Category: Bartimaeus - Jonathan Stroud, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: British characters written by an american, Gen, I'll update tags as time goes on, It's basically everyone, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Science, Symbiotes - Freeform, Symbiotic Relationship, Unethical Experimentation, Venom AU, inaccurate science, like there will be warnings and maybe ships in the future, very inaccurate law
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2019-10-09 05:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17400644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganGray/pseuds/Venom%20Sequence
Summary: An au for the Bartimaeus Sequence, by a first time fanfic writer.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The symbiotes are based off the movie and comics depending on which canon I like more. Also, this AU’s plot is based on the movie but varies greatly for the most part.

_The crushing of the metal as the asteroid crashed into the satellite made no sound in the vacuum of space. The screeching of the asteroid’s occupants was similarly lost as they panicked at the sudden impact, while the shocked noises of the humans in the satellite were easily heard to each other in the enclosed space._

_As the humans quarantined the damaged section of satellite and retreated they missed a chunk of the rock breaking off and continuing to earth. Leaving it’s entrapped home rock, the chunk entered the atmosphere and began a fiery descent. As much of the rock burned off while going through the earth’s atmosphere one could see some squirming black thing begin to be revealed._

_Luckily for the thing, it soon crashed into the watery fields of a rice paddy. The water cooled the rock and it’s passenger, soothing the burns as the mass wiggled into the water and wrapped it’s self around it’s once home._

_The landing was not unnoticed as a young child who had been playing nearby approached and reached for the rock with an excited grin on their face._

_The mass readies itself to strike._  

_The satellite’s crew watched screens that analyzed their asteroid attacker, they were uninterested to slightly annoyed till a light flashed and words followed. The shocked crew stared at the screen before scrambling to gather collection containers and tools._

_The screen continued to display “Life Signs Detected” as they went to make history._

*****

Kitty stared at her white board while Nathaniel sat at the dining room table, neither making any progress with their work and looking at a long and unproductive night if they stayed up. It did not take long for Nat to decide he did not care for that.

“Night, Kitty.” Nathaniel said as he got up from the table and headed to his bed without even trying to convince her to follow suit, “Make sure you actually get sleep.”

Kitty nodded without tearing her eyes away from the board and was soon alone. It was clear there was a conflict of interest and that this politician was virtually an employee of the Makepeace corp. With how much money was being funneled in the man’s pockets. She just needed proof.

Kitty went to Nat’s laptop and went to log into her account to watch something as she thought, but before she could pressed enter a notification came up. The email title sat at the top of the notification and the name of the politician and Makepeace sat mockingly within it.

Kitty switched to Nathanial’s account.

****

Makepeace smiled at his scientists and workers as the contents of the van were wheeled into the lab. The glass containers each held a writhing mass of black slime, some with bright veins of color and others with subtle shades of them. As the containers reached the middle of the room and everyone gathered around to look at creatures.

They all thought about how these beings could be the key to new weapons, exploration or any number of things! If nothing else they would make their owner a very powerful person. Makepeace, the owner of said beings began to speak to his audience, “Enough staring! It’s time for us to get started! To make history! To be the first in an unexplored field that has been unknown to the world since now!” Makepeace waved to his lawyer and the most overtime available scientist, “Khaba! Ptolemy! You two will now be a team! I want you to pick two of these symbiotes to study together and I need to know everything about them scientifically and legally!”

The newly formed team briefly stared at each other and shuffled uncomfortably as the two eventually went to the collection and muttered to each other as others went to prepare tests and Makepeace oversaw all.

“I am no scientist, but it does not seem possible for us to know anything about these to pick one over the other,” Khaba whispered to Ptolemy who intently stared of the containers.

“You are not incorrect, but I have a few tests we could try to find out some information to choose from. If not we can go with favorite colors.” Ptolemy leaned back and addressed the slime, “Can I have your attention?”

Four of the five slimes stopped circling the container, it did not appear they could stop their natural pulsing but it was a start. Ptolemy excitedly looked at Khaba who clearly did not care as much, “Can you talk?” Nothing came back and one lost interest and went back to exploring their container, “Can you communicate at all?” Nothing at all.

Ptolemy sighed moved his finger over the surface of the glass to see if any of them would follow it. Khaba leaned over to watch and make his own comments, “They seem to have some sentience and they are indestructible correct?”

Ptolemy was now on his second container, the one that lost interest after the first one just sat and seemed to stare at him, “I’m not confident about that, but the satellite was about to eject their cat after one of these had attached itself to the feline. The ejection was motivated due to the destruction the pair caused. Only about to, it released the cat and was able to be caught and contained just before the airlock opened.” The cat had been bizarrely fine, despite the death of several satellite lab mice who had gone through similar experiences. Ptolemy moved on to another symbiote after the one that had lost interest once again lost interest, this one was pure black.

“So they, or at least that one, are cowards. Though with the right host I suppose these things might be able to reach their full potential. I could do great things with the right symbiote.” Ptolemy rolled his eyes but noted the current symbiote started to vibrate. Before he could look closer a sudden bang sounded close to his ear and he fell to the floor in surprise.

The symbiote that had shown no interest at all had slammed itself on the glass and seemed to be writing furiously, “Khaba? I think this one does not like that you insulted them.”

“Brilliant. The alien has attitude.”

Ptolemy chuckled and placed a sticky note of the angry symbiote to show his choice, one down and one to go.  


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talks happen and relationships begin and further decay.

Kitty flung the rock towards the window of her ex-flat and went to pick up another one to continue her torment as the window burst open. "Kathleen Jones, what do you want?!“

Kitty looked up to see the furious face of Nathanial Underwood staring down at her. She waved at him, "I am here to pick up my stuff, your new roommates wouldn’t open the door yesterday. Well-” Kitty motioned to the girl peering over Nat’s shoulder, “She did, but then she slammed it so hard she nearly broke Jacob’s nose.”

Nat sighed and then left the window throwing a “Fine” over his shoulder. Kitty gave the girl, Jane or something, a view of her finger before heading to the door and taking out her phone to call the others. They had decided to stay around the corner in case the police were called.

Again.

Asmira and Jacob were there by the time Nat opened the door to Kitty leaving him to comment on their car, “I see you let Kitty take care of the car then.” Giving a once over to the rusted metal and strange noises that the car produced even while still.

Asmira slammed the door shut to the point that Jacob jumped as he got out and went to check for damage. With how much rust on the hinges that was it was not an unfounded concern. Jacob once done turned to respond, “Is it really that weird to see a car is one piece? Well I suppose with your-”

“I crashed the car once!”

“And it was scrap by the time they got it off that tree.” Asmira joined in, “And you were also the one who said we didn’t need insurance.”

“I paid my fair share of damages!”

“Fair share!?” Jacob took over from Asmira leaving Jacob and Nathanial to argue oblivious to the world and Nat’s flat open to it. Kitty went to pick up the last few boxes of her stuff and Asmira continued into the flat for reasons unknown and that Kitty did not think she wanted to know. The only other person was Jane who took one look at the group and left with the excuses of work at the office.

Kitty had loaded all 5 boxes into the car and went to the kitchen to wait for Jacob and Nat to realize everyone else was done. Might as well grab some wine if they were going to make her wait. Asmira was on a laptop and reading whatever was on it only looking up to talk briefly, “His firm is doing work for that Makepeace weirdo now.”

“Asmira, you are doing what got me kicked out. You are doing it as we are picking my stuff up after having to wait for two months for him to even talk to me.”

“He couldn’t have been that mad, it's not like he threw out your stuff.” Before Kitty could respond Jacob and Nathanial walked back in. If Nathanial had looked angry before, then he was venomous when he saw Asmira on his laptop.

 _“What do you think you are doing?!”_ If voices could kill then the block would be massacred.

Asmira looked at him dead in the eye and then went to email all she could to herself. Kitty held back Nat so he would not get hurt and Jacob pulled Asmira out of the apartment.

****

Ptolemy heard the noise of one of the symbiote as it slammed against the glass again, after it happening so often he had stopped jumping at the sound ages ago, “Hello Khaba.” Ptolemy said as he turned around.

“How-” Khaba began but his surprise took his words, “You didn’t see me come in.”

Ptolemy pointed at the pitch black symbiote that was trying to break through the glass by slamming it’s self against the wall again and again, “Your shadow misses you.”

Khaba huffed and went to pull a seat up next to Ptolemy, “They are always doing that, it is what happens when you trap such a strong being.” Ptolemy could attest it would only happen when the lawyer was around, but that was not his concern. Khaba stared down at the container Ptolemy was working on, “Must be a struggle to be an exception to its kind.”

“You are projecting, Khaba.” Ptolemy watched the rabbit reorganize its enclosure, “What do you want? Or did you only come to see Shadow or insult Ryekt?”

“You named it- Never mind. Your insanity is of no concern.” Khaba placed a collection of folders on the table, “I need you to look at these cases. I am going off what you told me and we seem safe, but I want you to double check that the defendants are not close to humans biologically. I will see you in an hour.” Khaba left and the banging from Shadow slamming it’s self over and over creased.

Ptolemy took said container and left it in the specimen area before it could begin causing a racket when Khaba came back.

Ptolemy slumped back into his seat and turned to the rabbit and the black snake thing that had popped out of its neck, “Ryekt? What does Shadow see in Khabe?”

 ** _“His reflection in that bald head maybe? Torment has terrible taste in hosts-”_** Ptolemy looked down at the snake and the snake looked back up to Ptolemy, _**“You would not be able to just ignore that would you?”**_

“You can talk!”

_**“No, you are just hallucinating and nothing is really happening.”** _

“Don’t be stupid. I need-” Ptolemy began, but was stopped as the alien suddenly interjected at him.

_**“How do you expect them to believe you?”** _

Ptolemy turned to the bunny that was suddenly black,now with purple tendrils and a toothy maw, “I have a recorder, they can’t argue was evidence that strong.” Ptolemy went back to searching for the recorder and went to the tank with it in hand.

The bunny said nothing.

Ptolemy rolled his eyes “Have you really gone silent? That is not going to work I can make you talk again.”

The rabbit puffed itself to appear bigger, **_“Trust me when I say what torture you can come up with is nothing compared to what_ _Oblivion_ _can do to me.”_**

Ptolemy stopped the recorder, stomach sinking as he spoke, “Torture? I never said anything about torture.”

**_“Oh, how you planning on getting me to speak?”_ **

“I- I-,” He wouldn’t have would he? Ptolemy had to admit he was not that sure. He was not even sure how he get here? He had found sentient life and his first thought was to tell a man who would turn the creature into a weapon. Ptolemy felt disgust well up inside him and he sat down on his chair as he placed his head in his hands, "I’m sorry.“

**_"You’re what?”_ **

Ptolemy looked up at the still fanged rabbit watching it before speaking, “I am sorry. I should not be doing this, no one should be doing any of this. I don’t even know why I am here, this is not where I wanted to be.” Ptolemy felt tired, he had not thought about how he had abandoned his hopes of helping people and let himself grow bitter for a long time.

 _ **“….”**_ Ryket did not respond at first, but eventually, he spoke again, **_“Where did you want to be?”_**

Ptolemy stared at Ryket, “I, at some point, just wanted to help people and I guess I eventually wanted to find new lifeforms. Something to prove to myself that good was still out there since I gave up with looking for it in humans.”

The symbiote did what Ptolemy thought was meant to be sigh, **_“You’re not going to find good with us.”_**

Ptolemy smiled at the strange slime, “Really? I think you are good, look how concerned you are for me, just after you thought I was going to torture you.”

The bunny’s fur stood on end and it looked away, **_“Don’t be ridiculous.”_** It avoided eye contact while Ptolemy laughed, **_“What do you like to be called? You call me Ryekt, I should get to call you something.”_**

“I’m Ptolemy and shouldn’t I know your real name?”

**_“Ryekt works perfectly well, let’s keep that.”_ **

“Ok, then. To move to happier conversations.: how does it feel to have revealed your ability to speak because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut?”

_**“Shut up.”** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I died a little realizing how many typos I had made when posting it here. Not cause I did them at all, but because this had already been posted on Tumblr.
> 
> Also now that we have gotten to see more of these versions of the characters I would love to tell you more about their AU versions if you're interested!
> 
> Leave a comment or send an ask on tumblr so I can know what you want to know exactly!


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That possessed kid comes back and Ptolemy and Bart snark at each other for a disguised info dump.

A child with dirty feet and a skeletal frame wandered into the edges of a large city. They attracted the attention of a few adults who went to check on the child, but as they reached them the child collapsed in their arms. The adults tried to wake the child from the endless sleep that now claimed them, but one woman stood up straight and turned to disappear into the city.

 

None had noticed the black sludge go from the child to her.

 

++++++++++++

 

Ptolemy stared at his blank report, it had been blank for the past hour or so and Ptolemy expected it to remain like that for the next few hours. It would have been easier if he was using real science and not science that would buy him more time to… to figure out something. Ptolemy pushed away from his desk and stood up to leave his office completely, taking a pack of mail and the report with him.

 

"Hello Ryket." Ptolemy nodded towards the container that now held a stray cat some employee had caught, "How is the new host?"

 

 ** _"Great I have to say I really like cats. They think humans are a bit stupid even if they are fond of you. Can’t say I disagree."_** The cat began to look more alien like and large white eyes, large teeth and small wings on the side of its head nestled within purple hair like tendrils appeared as it spoke with a stretch and a turn.

 

"Oh really? Sounds like you might share that opinion." Ptolemy smiled over at his..... his something, before going through his mail. Some warning about a women called Kathleen Jones and updates to who works where and new employees, nothing Ptolemy found interesting or worth his time and he went back to struggling with his report.

 

 ** _"Don't flatter yourself, you are the only one slightly passable. I am still not even sure you are actually helping me either."_** The cat jumped from platform to platform, the small wings on their back spreading out and letting them glide but quickly losing altitude, **_"Gravity is too strong here to do anything…."_**

 

"That is so sweet." Ptolemy smiled over at the tank, taking the notes of Ryket's actions to further his nonsense report, "It just takes time. You would like to get out and stay out, correct?" The cat huffed, "Then wait. I need to find a fool proof way to make it look like there was a break in and I need to move far away from Makepeace's influence or his creepy head of security." Ptolemy should probably learn that man's name, but he did not really want to see him at all so he did not see the point, "I don't know if any of that meant anything to you, but that is all important."

 

**_"Sensible, but as the symbiote in the cage who could die or be hurt I'm a bit stressed!"_ **

 

"Fair, but stealing so many alien samples is-" Ptolemy was cut off before he could explain.

 

 ** _"What do you mean by 'so many' samples?"_** The cat lost all appearance of its feline form as black overtook its body to look far more lizard looking and white eyes and dangerous looking fangs took over its face completely, **_"If you were thinking of taking the others, don't. They will hurt you and other humans if you let them out."_**

 

Ptolemy rolled his eyes, "Yes, your mission. I am sure we can talk them out of trying to take over the world, if not on empathy then on practicality. Humans have spent a lot of time learning how to kill, I am sure there is some weapon out there that might scare you off." Ptolemy went back to writing, "Or at least some superhero like those ones that dealt with all that chaos in New York."

 

**_"The plan was to use those superheroes as hosts."_ **

 

"Oh." Ptolemy did have to admit that was not hopeful, "Are you sure you do not want to bring anyone with us?"

 

 ** _"There is- Never mind Impuse is too risky. They are too excited about all this for me to be certain they won't try anything."_** The cat did not look up from it paws as it spoke, ** _"Does that speed things up?"_**

 

Ptolemy sighed and leaned back on his chair, "I suppose it makes it simpler to fake a more innocuous break in. If only one symbiote is taken is would not suggest that whoever took them does not know what they have." Ptolemy rocked a bit in his chair as he decided if he was going to continue, "The same could be said if two of you are taken-"

 

**_"No."_ **

 

"You seem close to this one. You brought them up and even mentioned them by name, are you sure?"

 

**_"Are you sure you want to put your planet at risk?"_ **

 

"…Ok." Ptolemy relented and wrote down some notes on the various powers the symbiotes have displayed in his report, "If you are sure then so be it." 

 

 **"I am sure."** The cat curled away from Ptolemy to show they did not wish to continue anymore discussion, **"Thank you though."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might never come up so I just want to say all the other superheroes are characters written by Jonathan Stroud. I am not familiar with some of his stuff and I am so behind on Lockwood and Co.
> 
> So I leave it to the commenters to choose what superheroes Lockwood and co are.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discoveries are made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded the chapter is the wrong order so opps.....

"Makepeace is doing human experiments."

 

Kitty looked up from her laptop at Asmira who was on her own laptop reading something. She had finally moved on from clicking things detached and emotionless and was now intently reading something. "What makes you think that?" Kitty said not looking up from her own work.

 

"I made it Nat's email forwards everything to my email."

 

"You did what?" Solomon, their boss, and son of the CEO waiting to the inherit the company came out from his office, usual beauty routine half done and looking tired, "Asmira that is-"

 

"Brilliant, but illegal." Kitty finished for Solomon, "I think."

 

"I just wanted to do gossip till the old man left, but I had to hire you two-" Solomon tried to rub his headache away, before continuing, "Why would Makepeace even have human test subjects? Isn't he in technology and weapons technology at that?"

 

"Target practice?" Kitty threw out from her desk.

 

"Kitty that is ridiculous." Said Solomon as he went over to look at the email, "And depressing considering you dated someone who was involved in all this." Kitty glared at Solomon

 

"These are to prevent lawsuit in case of death so it is deadly." Asmira continued as she went through the emails, "But Makepeace is not some sort of comic villain so there is no way he is testing the weapon people." Asmira leaned back to think, "Could the weapon have side effects on the people who use it?"

 

"We cannot write about this." Solomon closed the laptop Asmira was working on, "Between the lawsuit that this will open us up to and the lack of usable evidence, you will drop this till further notice or you can convince Kitty's sociopath ex to say he gave this to you willingly."

 

Asmira slammed her fist down, "How can I drop this?!" Kitty went back to her own laptop, as Solomon and Asmira argued about the long-standing debate of ethics vs survival that Kitty had plenty of experience with.

 

A few keystrokes later and Kitty found what she wanted, "Here." Kitty turned the laptop towards her arguing coworker and boss, "A list of people that work for Makepeace, one of them will turn on him."

 

+++++

 

"What is going on here?" Ptolemy walked into his lab to find utter disaster. Ryket was in a human host, fully suited tail, hair, small wings down their back and face fins. Ryket was also surrounded by speakers blasting at full volume, causing the symbiote to screech in pain and collide into various items trying to escape the agony.

 

Ptolemy ran to the control panel to shut off the speakers and turned to his fellow scientist with the urge to strangle the man, "Well?"

 

"It is not listening to me, so I am applying punishment to-"

 

"You are torturing them and I expect you to get out of my sight before I do the same to you!" The scientist shruck back despite the foot he had on Ptolemy and left the room before Ptolemy could do good on his threat. After locking the door behind the man he went to check on Ryket, opening the container Ptolemy rushed to the alien's side.

 

Ryket was barely conscious and while he held onto his host for the most part the bloody skin of the human could be seen in places. His face fins were limp and his usual smile was gone, "Are you ok?"

 

**_"I am certain this host if going to die as soon as I leave them."_ **

 

"I am sorry. That is going to continue happening as long as these experiments continue happening." Ptolemy stroked Ryekt's mane as he tried to soothe him, "Just bear with it."

 

 ** _"For how much longer! I cannot handle these humans anymore."_** Ryket left the host and sat next to Ptolemy who pushed the now fresh corpse off him and kicked it with his feet to move it away from him, **_"You don’t care for other humans much do you?_**

 

"I have worked for a man who develops weapons for the last few years, I try to not care about others as much as possible." Ptolemy sighed and laid down on the floor neat to Ryket, "Caring about you has made this entire thing very difficult."

 

 **"I'm sorry."** Was the sarcastic response.

 

"Don't be, I owe you more than you know for reminding me of kindness and good." Ptolemy closed his eyes and let himself drift off a bit, "I am going to save you. I promise."

 

+++++

 

Khaba listened to the scientist's complain about Ptolemy as he wrote his notes of the symbiotes' legal status.  In front of him was the symbiote Ptolemy had nicknamed Shadow who watched him as he worked.

 

"Torment? What do you think that boy see in the weak excuse of your kind."

 

**_"With how disappointing other humans are compared to you I suppose they must have a lot in common my love."_ **

 

Khaba smiled slightly as he continued to work, "You flatter me, my dear. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact it was a comment about how Solomon could be Ironman that made me realize my mistake, cause I was thinking I had already introduced him. 
> 
> Also, Shadow Husbands are here now.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I fucked up the order of chapters and the newest chapter is actually the one before this. That should fix the pacing. 
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry for the wait, school and my depression have been kicking my ass.

Kitty and Asmira tracked their seventh Makepeace employee of the day, so far they had only had the police called on them twice so it was a win. Asmira and Kitty walked down the sidewalk a good distance from their latest target, a scientist called Ptolemy.

"He is part of the Alexis family," Kitty said as she briefed Asmira of what she could find out about him, "An illegitimate son of the second eldest son. Mother was a low-level employee who took money in exchange for giving him up and disappearing. Father died in a boating accident and family paid for his education but clearly want nothing to do with him. They would have had nothing to do with him if not for his dad's will."

"Isn't the Alexis's company and Makepeace's competitors in the technology and weapon sector?"

"They are and I am thinking that is 90 percent the reason he why he works for Makepeace, besides the leaks he gave to the media causing Alexis's stock to drop by a percentage I think is concerning. That spite is how I hope to get him to help us." Kitty took out a sheet and handed it to Asmira, "I bet someone who was interested in humanitarian efforts in college is not happy about the company's interest in weapon technology."

Asmira nodded and read through the sheet as their target turned into a drug store, with the two of them following closely behind him.

They went through the store keeping an eye on him as they made their way through talking quietly under their breath as they planned their next move, "How are we going to approach him?"Asmira whispered to Kitty while they pursed the pasta section.

"Whatever way will be less threatening."

"If you were going for non-threatening I would advise against stalking in the future." Kitty and Asmira turned to see Ptolemy standing behind them smiling sweetly with a sarcastic half-wave and eyes artificially warm. Kitty was surprised to see how much smaller Ptolemy was than her when they were so close, both in build and height. With his cat-eye frames and hair tied back, he could have been confused for teen girl easily, "What do you want?"

Kitty and Asmira stared blankly for a short time before Asmira recovered, stinking out her hand for a handshake, "Hello. I am Asmira and this is my coworker Kathleen we are from-"

"A gossip rag that is the only place that will take you after your friend put your last workplace under investigation. Every company in this town was given a warning about you two ages ago," Ptolemy's smile did not drop in the slightest and his tone remained chillingly friendly. Kitty knew he was hiding his true emotions, but his entire demeanor made Kitty want to trust him.

She really hated that. It suggested too many disturbing implications. 

"We managed to expose corruption-" Asmira started to defend themselves, but Ptolemy's friendly expression dropped into annoyance.

"And you will never do anything meaningful again since your names have been dragged through the mud."  Ptolemy smiled again and once again the friendly persona was up, "You still have not answered my question."

Kitty took over before Asmira could pick a fight, "You are right, but that does not mean we shouldn't try! Makepeace is using humans to test god knows what and someone has to hold him accountable. So we are." Kitty did not break eye contact with Ptolemy who continued to smile but looked surprised at the response she had given, "You must have believed the same when you betrayed your own family-"

That got a response, Ptolemy's face went dark and Kitty swore the room got cold, "Don't mention them." There was nothing but hatred in his voice, but soon he breathed out and took on a far more neutral expression and tone, "I understand where you are coming from, but I can't care about others right now. Not if-" For a split second Kitty thought she say fear on his face, but it was too quick for her to be sure, "I want to help, but I can't. Not right now. I need to protect my- myself right now. The world can wait."

Kitty sighed and mentally started planning who they were going to find next, Asmira was not ready to back down on the other hand, "Don't you care about anyone?!" Asmira stormed forwards and took hold of the front of Ptolemy's shirt as she brought him face to face, "How can you care so little about others?"

Ptolemy pulled Asmira's hands off him with vague annoyance and gave a small smile at her that seem mocking in nature, "I always assumed it was due to having a family that told me how much of a burden I was every hour of every day. Perhaps it made me a bit cold."

Ptolemy smoothed out his clothing and left Kitty and Asmira and Kitty, only stopping to say one more thing before leaving, "Also I do care for someone, I am just not very good at it." 

Kitty turned to Asmira as Ptolemy left their view, "I know this sounds strange, but I like him."

Asmira glared at Kitty, who shrugged in response.

+++++

Ptolemy walked into a lab with a dead host in the containment unit and a dying symbiote next to them, "Ryket!" Ptolemy without thinking opened the unit and rushed toward Ryket trying to pick him up. Before he could react though the black tendrils that made up the alien twisted their way around Ptolemy's arms and sunk into his skin. Numerous thoughts and feelings that were not his own flooded his mind.  Fear, confusion, relief and most of all _hunger_.

Ptolemy felt like he watched from a distance as black and purple slime took over his body and felt his body move on its own. The next moments were a haze as he saw the lab move past him and then the outside world appeared and disappeared at a concerning, impossible, speed. An alleyway came into view with a homeless man sitting against a wall. The man turned with his eyes wide and then blood took over Ptolemy's vision and the sound of sharp teeth tearing off flesh and crushing bone filled his ears. 

Ptolemy gave in to the darkness to avoid the carnage and next time he came out of it he found himself on top of a building.  Holding onto the antennae on top of a skyscraper that ended in a point Ptolemy looked down at his black clawed hands and felt the strange wing-like appendages on the side of his head move and flex in the breeze.

**_"Sorry."_ **

"Ryket…." Ptolemy looked down at what looked like several 100 flights of floors, "Please fucking explain."

**_"I was dying and needed to feed so I "hitched" a ride as one might say."_ **

"We ate a homeless man, a homeless man you might not know what that is, but killing them is really fucked up. So was that necessary?" A snapshot of gore resurfaced from Ptolemy's memories, but he quickly beat it down.

 ** _"Human brains have the chemical I need and that was quick and easy. However, I will try to avoid hurting innocents in the future, not that Makepeace counts as innocent."_** Ptolemy felt guilt coming from the symbiote and he tried to sooth it somewhat by directing positive emotions to Reykt, but he had no idea if it worked.

"It was also traumatizing. Anyways, we need to get back to the lab before anyone notices we are gone." Before Ptolemy could finish speaking a spike of fury that was not his own ran through his head like someone had dug a pickaxe through his head.

 ** _"Why go back? We can just leave now!"_**   Ryket's voice echoed in his head and Ptolemy on instinct tried to cover his ears which reminded him of his inhuman appearance as he felt the wing shapes sprouting from his head. Ptolemy searched through the anger as Ryket continued to rage in their shared mind. Through the anger, he found fear and pain that seemed to be purposely blocked from Ptolemy, once again he tried to sooth it as best he could.

"I am not sure how your planet runs, but here there are a lot of things that can tie a person to a place. I need to deal with all of that before we can go or I do not think our escape will be long-lived." Ptolemy waited for a response but as he did not hear or feel the beginning of any response, "Makepeace is hurting you and I know he could kill you which must be terrifying. But I promise I will not let that happen. I promise on my life I have a plan."

 ** _"I believe you."_** Ptolemy let out the breath he was holding, ** _"But if we leave later… I have changed my mind, I want to bring one of the others with us."_** The orange and black symbiote came to Ptolemy's mind and memories of happiness and fondness came with it, **_"They are what I would consider a friend."_**

Ptolemy closed his eyes and nodded, "Of course."  He opened his eyes and looked back down the building, "Now how do we get down from here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I have twitter if you would like to talk~ 
> 
> @CosplayWitty on Twitter

**Author's Note:**

> There is a tumblr blog with more info if you want: https://venomsequence.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also leave kudos and comments if you like and if you aren't sure leave a comment answering one of these questions:
> 
> What wasn't tagged that should have been?  
> What Venom canon do you think I should use as inspiration?  
> Are the characters OOC or IC for the AU changes?  
> Symbiote names for Queezle?  
> Demons and humans from the book that should totally show up?  
> What and who should they be?
> 
> Love to start discussions.


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